Bakuchiol vs retinol: what one study actually found

Cosmetic function, not a product verdict

Reviewed October 16, 2026

The short answer

One 12-week study of 44 people found bakuchiol 0.5% cream, applied twice daily, performed about the same as retinol 0.5% cream applied once daily on wrinkle surface area and dark spots, with less scaling and stinging. It was a single small study, so treat it as an early result, not a verdict.

What is it?

Bakuchiol is a plant-derived compound (a phytochemical) used in skincare as a retinol alternative. The researchers describe it as structurally different from retinol, but earlier laboratory work showed it can act as a functional analogue, with similar gene expression in skin cells. On a US label it appears simply as Bakuchiol.

What did the study find?

Dhaliwal and colleagues published the study in the British Journal of Dermatology in 2019. It was randomized and double-blind, ran 12 weeks, and enrolled 44 patients. One group applied bakuchiol 0.5% cream twice daily; the other applied retinol 0.5% cream once daily. Facial photographs taken at weeks 0, 4, 8 and 12 were analyzed by computer for wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation, alongside a dermatologist's grading of pigmentation and redness and tolerability questionnaires. Both groups significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation, with no statistical difference between the compounds. The retinol group showed more facial scaling and reported more stinging.

Funding came from the Department of Dermatology, University of California - Davis. The corresponding author, who was also the principal investigator, discloses advisory or consulting roles with Dermveda, Burt's Bees and Dermala. The bakuchiol was over 99% pure, and the retinol was formulated in the same vehicle (Sytheon Ltd, Boonton, NJ, as named in the paper).

What it does not mean

It was a single-centre study, and the authors call the sample size relatively small. Participants were healthy adults aged 31 to 56, nearly all women, and seven did not complete the visits (the paper analysed all 44, intention-to-treat). Outcomes were measured by photograph analysis, a blinded dermatologist and self-reported tolerability.

One study of 44 people over 12 weeks does not prove bakuchiol works in every product, at every strength, or for every person. It compared one bakuchiol cream with one retinol cream; other formulas may differ. And "no statistical difference" in a small study is not proof the two are identical - a larger study could still find a gap. This page reports the study; it does not recommend a treatment.

How to read it on a label

US cosmetic labels generally list ingredients in descending order of amount, but anything at 1% or less can appear in any order after those above 1%. Its position does not tell you the exact concentration. Judge the whole product, how it feels on your skin, and what changes when you add or drop it.